Can carrier and display device



7, 1939. JEWETT Y Q 2,145,879

CAN CARRIER AND DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Oct. 22, 1935 Patented Feb. 7,1939

can caamsa AND msrmr navrca Freeborn G. Jewett, Lake Forest, 11].,a-ignor to American Can Company, New Iorh, N. Y., a corporation of NewJersey Application octane-'22, ms, Serial No. 46,190 6 Claims. (01.224-15) UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE The present invention relates tocombination carrier and display devices and has particular reference toa device for holding filled and sealed .cans, such as cans containinglubricating oil, foodstuffs or other products, in pleasing arrangementand in convenient units which may be easily carried around or placed indifferent convenient display positions without disturbing sucharrangement while at the same time allowing for easy accessibility ofthe individual can.

The present invention, having as important features the handling and thedisplaying of canned goods is adaptable for use in businesses wheresuchcans are handled and soldi Naturally a grocery or a paint storesuggests itself by way of example. The unit carrier and display devicein such a field lends itself to display from the counter, the floor orthe wall of the store while still retaining the cans in convenient .20groups. Another more special field for the device, however', is in therealm of automobile service stations where the display of cannedlubricating oil for automobiles and where convenient dispensing of thecanned oil are particularly present an instant appeal to prospectivecusto- 35 mers driving byso that they will be attracted to the stationand will drive in for oil and other of his wares.

The travelling motorist is always in a hurry and it is essential when acar does drive into a 40 station for canned oil that the cans beconveniently accessible as well as in full view. .The service man who isefllcient must also have his wares arranged so that when he closes hisestablishment for the night it will not be a long and arduous 45 task totransfer his canned oil from display position, necessarily on theoutside of the building,

into a place, usually on the inside, where they can be locked up.

The present invention contemplates a holder 50 for filled cans whichkeeps the individual cans separated one from the other and at the sametime grouped in attractive arrangement there being only such number ofcans in a group that may be easily handled. Such a holder may be 55selectively placed in different positions as desired highly desirablefeatures This latter adaptation e to successful business that hisstation and goods in each of which the holder unit with its group ofcans presents a display appeal but this is done without in any waymitigating against the easy removal of individual cans as desired.

The combination holder and display units may 5 be grouped for display. Anumber of individual units may be combined to take care of a servicestation's requirements. Such stations are required to handle manydifferent grades of oil and the holders of the present invention arewell 10 adaptedto be used side by side or in grouped relationship. Aservice station handling difierent grades of oil, say grades 10, 10W,20, 30, 40, etc., for example, finds the instant device very convenientas a single holder unit will be used for 15 each particular'grade of oiland-all of the holders collectively may .then well cover the entirestations requirement. At the preesnt time where stations are using themore modern oil dispensing methods and selling refinery sealed cans ofoil in place of the former bottles, the combination holder and displayunit of the instant invention will completely supersede the old type ofwooden crate holder with its refillable glass bottles and will have theadditional broader function of advertising and sales appeal.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a combinationholder and display device for filled cans wherein the cans arer'emovably held within the holder in accesible and also in displayarrangement, the holder being adapted for easy handling and for locationin various display positions singly or grouped and in different planesas desired, the arrangement of the cans within the holder beingmaintained in any of the selectedpositions.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a combination holderand display device for filled canswhich permits resting of the holderwith its cans upon the fioor in a horizontal position or hanging againstthe wall in a vertical position, such a holder being also adapted forcooperation with a support for retaining it in, inclined displayposition. I Numerous other objects and advantages of the 5 inventionwill be apparent as it is better understood from the followingdescription, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a composite, schematic view of three embodiments of thepresent invention, this view illustrating the combination holder anddisplay device, with some of its cans removed, shown in verticalposition against the wall, in horizontal position upon the floor andalso in inclined position upon a support rack:

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the display holder showing thesame in display position relative to a. vertical wall;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the display holder illustrating some of thecans removed; 1

Fig. 4 is a part sectional, part side elevation of the device as viewedalong the broken line 4-4 in Fig. 3; I

Fig. 5" is a transverse sectional view taken through the holdersubstantially along the line 5-5 in Fig. 3; and v Fig. 6 is a sideelevation of the device showing it when used in cooperation with asupport rack. parts being broken backgto illustrate the construction.

An embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the drawing, comprisesa holder member Ii adapted to removably support filled cans i2.

This holder with its filled cans is arranged to be hung upon a wall orother vertical surface as at A, Fig. 1. A very attractive arrangement ishad by placing several holders side by side. In fact, in some instancesit may be desirable to practically cover a wall. This vertical displayposition is also economical of space. The holder can be convenientlyhung on a gasoline pump or other apparatus such as may be found in agasoline filling station as well as on a wall. These would be displaypositions. The holder is equally well adapted to rest upon the floor asshown at B in Fig.1 and while it still display appeal this may best beconsidered a non-display position. g

When associated with a support rack the holder may be used to displaythe cans in an inclined position as shown at 0, Figs. 1 and 6. In

' any of these three positions the cans are easily accessible forremoval yet are maintained in their attractive grouping, thus oflering asales appeal to a prospective customer and a venience to the stationoperator.

Device ll comprises a front flat face wall or panel I! which is bent atits edges into side floor support members l6 and top and bottom endwalls l1, IS. The walls It are further bent inwardly at is (Figs. 4 and5) these bent-in parts providing feet for supporting the device inhorizontal position.

The wall I5 is cut through with can receiving pockets 2| which arepreferably trapezoidal in shape. 'The tapered side walls of each pocketare bent inwardly at 22 (Figs. 3 and 5) and these wall sections areslightly curved to a radius that will fit snugly the cylindrical can l2.If other than cylindrical cans are used the shape of the wall sectionswill be altered to suit. By reason of the tapered relationship of theseopposed side walls the can is caused to rest at an angle to the wall i5ofthe device as best illustrated in Fig. 4.

At the bottom or wide end of each pocket 2| the pocket edge is formed byan inwardly bent shelf part 23 on which the can I! is adapted torestwhen the display device is in either ocl. the positions A or C (Fig. 1)and even in position B this shelf part takes some of the weight of thecan. An inwardly bent retaining shoulder or flange 24 is formed in thetop or narrow end of each pocket and is adapted to engage back of orwithin the extended rim of the can when the latter is in position withinthe pocket.

Cooperation of the wall sections 22, 23 and the shoulder part 24 providea retaining feature et is first hooked under the memberfl and is thenlowered into position against the support position A,-Figs 1 and shelf23. When in such locked position the can cannot be dislodged by merechange of position of the display device. The can within its pocket isspaced from the feet I! of the device and is free of the floor or of thewall against which the holder may be disposed.

A handle 25 preferably of strap' formation is secured at 26 to the walli5 of the device II. This handle is located centrally or midway betweenthe rows of pockets and extends beyond the cans therein. Thiscentralizing feature insures balancing of the device when filled withcans. The handle 25 is bent into any suitable shape so that it may beconveniently grasped in all positions of the device.

The two side walls or floor supports it are preferably formed with hookdevices 21 which are provided in both walls by cutting out an opening 28in each wall adjacent the top end wall l5. These hook devices arepreferably reenforced by struck-out ridges 29 formed in the side wall.

'When the display unit is to be positioned against a vertical wall asatA in Fig. 1 the hook devices 2'! are engaged over or hooked on a rightangled Z-ba'r 3| which may be secured in any suitable manner to thewall. This bar may be long enough to hold several display units or asingle unit as conditions require and several parallel bars may be used.The bar or bars may be fastened to or it may constitute a part of agasoline pump, a display rack, or other convenient apparatus such as maybe found in a service station. When the device is so placed, as in the2, the upper leg of the Z- bar 3| is disposed within the cut-out spaces28 adjacent the hooks 21.

A pair of support racks 32 may also be used in connection with thedevice I I when it ,is desirable for'the retained cans to be held in aninclined display position, such as is shown at C in Figs. 1 and 6. Onesimple form of support rack (Fig. 6) includes a vertical leg 33. Eachsupport rack 32 may be secured to the display device and form apermanent part or the two racks may be separable supporting the rack ona floor surface as indicated at .C in Fig. 1 is elevated and suspended'by its hook devices 21 from the Z-bar 3i on the wall surface, it willbe apparent that in such position the vertical leg 33 of the supportrack is positioned to engage the wall surface and maintain the unit insubstantially rigid display position while suspended from said Z-bar.Such engagement of the vertical leg 33 of the support rack with the wallto which the horizontal Z-bar 3| is secured will be apparent from aninspection of Fig. 1 with particular reference to the display unitindicated at C. v

The top and bottom walls I1, is of the device are preferably extended atan angle to the surface wall i5 and the wall l8 provides a base for theunit when used with the support in its inclined display position.

It isthought that the mvenuen and mm, or

its attendantadvantages will be understood from the foregoingdescription, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made inthe form,

construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its materialadvantages, the form hereinbefore described being the top of said pocketand adapted to hold against rearward displacement a filled can when itis inserted in a pocket and to hold the can at'an angle to said holdermember wall, and an inwardly projecting depending fiange'formed in theupper edge of a said pocket adapted to seat within and engage theperipheral flange of the can top to cooperate with said inclined sidewalls in removably confining the can therein against forf ward andrearward movement when the device is x 30 v in display or non-displayposition.

2. A. combination carrier and display device for "filled cans, whichcomprises a holder member having aplurality of spacedvopenings cut in aface wall thereof to provide can receiving pockets of trapezoidalconfiguration, opposed inclined curved sidewalls bent inwardly from saidholder face wall .and providing a canreceiving seat for each of saidpockets, said side and seat walls being spaced further apart at thebottom of the pocket than at the top and adapted to fit the body of afilled can when the can is inserted in the pocket to confine the canagainst rearward displacement and adapted to hold the can at an angle tosaid face wall, and an inwardly projecting depending flange formed inthe top edge of each pocket adapted to seat within and engage theperipheral flange of the can top to cooperate with said inclined sidewalls in removably confining veach can in its individual pocket againstI. forward and rearward displacement during transfilled cans whichcomprises a holder member including a front panel having spaced pocketstherein, each pocket being adapted to receive a can and having upwardlyand inwardly inclined side walls to confine a held can against rearwarddisplacement from said pocket, a rearwardly projecting depending flangedisposed at the upper edge of each pocket adapted to restwithin andengage the peripheral flange of the can top to maintain the can againstforward displacement relative to said pocket, and a support racksecuredto. and extending rearwardly from said holder member for holding thesame and its confined cans in an inclined display position.

4. A combination carrier and display device for filled cans whichcomprises a holder member including a front panel having spaced pocketstherein, each pocket being adapted to receive a can and having upwardlyand inwardly inclined side walls to confine a held can against rearwarddisplacement from said pocket, and a rearwardly projecting dependingflange disposed at the upper edge of each pocket adapted to rest withinand engage the peripheralfiange of the can top to maintain the canagainst forward displacement relative to said pocket.

5. A combination carrier and display device for filled cans whichcomprises a holder member including a front panel having spaced pocketstherein, each pocket being adapted to receive a can and having upwardlyand inwardlyinclined sidewalls to confine a held can against rearwarddisplacement from said pocket, and a rearwardly projecting dependingflange disposed at the upper edge of each pocket adapted to rest withinand engagethe peripheral flange of the can top to maintain the canagainst forward displacement relative to said pocket, said front panelhaving opposed integral marginal portions extending away from the planeof said panel to form a support for said device;

6. A combination carrier and display device for filled cans whichcomprises a holder member in cluding a front panel having spaced pocketstherein, each pocket. including spaced side walls adapted to receive acan therebetween. and a depending flange of a width less than the widthof said pocket disposed at the upper edge of each pocket and adapted torest within and engage the peripheral fiange of the can top to maintainthe can against displacement relative to said

